It's Fall! Bring on the Pumpkin...and Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Sweet Lord it is fall!  There are so many things about fall that I just love. Cool air, crisp leaves, sweaters, Ugg boots and.....pumpkins! Babies in pumpkins, pumpkin picking, pumpkin pie and PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES!  Every year I take Trey and now Aubrey to a pumpkin patch and we take pictures and pick out a pumpkin and I seriously can't wait for that.  I will add that I fully intend on buying a huge pumpkin hollowing it out and sticking my child in it and taking adorable pictures. I can't wait to share them with you all! I have already purchased two..yes two, pumpkin pies.  I usually would make my own but I was feeling extra lazy.

Now, on to my favorite part of life..coffee! I am a super coffeeholic. I have Keurig Special Edition Coffee Brewer that I get more use out of then my oven or refrigerator.  I have never been a huge Starbucks fan but who can afford 5$ for a latte (my favorite drink of choice) two times a day and I happen to think their coffee is bitter.  So, I started to make my own.  I purchased a milk frother and was good to go! So, I will share with you my tips to an awesome latte and my favorite homemade pumpkin spice latte recipe.

Regular latte

Brew a very strong 1 cup of coffee..On the Keurig I use the cup up from the espresso size.
Put 1 cup of milk in the micorwave and nuke it for a minute.  I give the milk a run though with my milk frothier and pour it into my coffee....Voile!

Now on to the Pumpkin Spice!!!!

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon unsweetened canned pumpkin puree or pumpkin flavored syrup
1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice *If you don't have pumpkin pie spice in your collection of spices, make your own! Mix equal parts of cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg- and measure from there.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup hot brewed, strong coffee
2 tablespoons half & half cream
1 teaspoon granulated white sugar, or more to taste
whipped cream, optional
ground nutmeg

Directions:

All the yummy ingredients

Mix together

1. In a glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, spice and vanilla. It smells amazing BTW!

Whisk in Milk

 2. Pour the pumpkin milk into a tall mug or glass and microwave for 1 minute and run your milk frothier through the mix until foamy. Add hot coffee. Pour in the cream. Add a teaspoon of sugar(or more if you like your coffee really sweet like I do). Stir, and taste.
3. Optional, but oh so good... add whipped cream on top and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Serve immediately!

I multiply this recipe by 4 and put it in a airtight container in my fridge.  I use 1 cup at a time.  I also use lactose free milk and I don't like the whipped cream..but this is why it is so awesome to make your own.  You can adjust the recipe to your taste. ENJOY!

Tip: If the mixture is too thick for your liking or to thin add or cut back the amount of milk you use or you can use pumpkin flavored syrup instead.  I prefer the real pumpkin because I feel like it is healthier.  Also, my son LOVES this milk.  I will heat it up for him and he thinks he is a big boy drinking coffee just like mommy.

Left over pumpkin and my yummy pumpkin milk...sorry for the nasty fridge I swear it is on my todo list :)

Traveling and Family Vacations : We are here!

We started our adventure at 9am on Saturday morning and by 3pm we were in our room at Saratoga Springs Resort in Disney! My son was beyond excited and so was I.  We chose our room for a few very specific reasons.  1) it had a kitchen 2) it had a washer and dryer 3) we had two places to sleep separated by a door so that Aubrey's night feeding wouldn't disturb Trey or my husband. One of us had to have a full night sleep and energy to run on.

We decided early on that we would not be visiting a park every single day.  We needed down time and so did the kids.  We organized our trip months in advance along with our reservations for meals(which is a must for a Disney trip.  Reservations for character meals book up months in advance).  We sat down with a piece of paper and listed which park we wanted to be at on a particular day.  Next we scheduled our character breakfast, lunch or dinners.  We did not always have a scheduled meal and would write that down too.  Needless to say with a husband that is an engineer and my OCD we were very planned.  I believe this is super important when traveling with children with the note that plans change and everything must be tentative. For us, having a plan allows us to relax more and enjoy the trip.  We were not worried about what we were going to do for meals and where we were going to be when.

Our kick off event for the trip was a character dinner called Mickey's Back Yard BBQ.  We told Trey about it the second we were walking out the door of the hotel room.  He was so excited!  I was kind of worried about Aubrey getting over stimulated and freaking out but she was fine.  Trey on the other hand was extremely over whelmed.  The music was very loud and there was a ton of people moving in all different directions.  At first, he kind of shut down and stayed close to me then his brain needed to increase the intensity of a already very intense situation and he wound him self up.  He had a good time but at some point he kept asking to go to the bathroom and when I took him the second or third time I asked him if he was okay.  He flat out told me it was too loud and he did not want to re enter the BBQ.  So, we left. We had already eaten and he had seen Mickey so it was fine with us.  It was already around 9pm when we got back to the room so we settled in and went to bed.

First Character meet-up at Micky's Back Yard BBQ

The rest of the trip was equally as over whelming for Trey and I took notice of situations where the music was too loud or the situation was to intense.  We watched parades from a distance and would tell him to put his hands over his ears.  This helped a ton and he really enjoyed himself.

Watching from a distance with the best seat in the house

We are very lucky to have a child who doesn't ask for much so we never spent any money on expensive gift items(You already read the post where I pre bought items and packed them).  The one thing Trey asked for was a fan that squirts water but I refused to get it.  Well, to make a long story short we were waiting for a custodian to bring us a screwdriver to put batteries in the stroller fan for Aubrey for the 2nd time that day (note to self bring a screwdriver on vacation!) and the souvenir lady felt bad that it was taking so long and gave Trey the fan!

The fan!

Lets talk about NIP.  You all know I exclusively breastfeed Aubrey and I have to give a big thumbs up to Disney for this! They have air conditioned nursing stations in each park.  They are so nice! I met some wonderful women in the room and it was a nice quite place to let Aubrey relax and cool down and to give me 15 or 20 minutes to relax myself!

The nursing lounge in Magic Kingdom

I also nursed all over the place and not one single dirty look or rude comment! I became very comfortable with NIP on this trip and I never used a cover.  It was far to hot.  I did get a suggestion to get a A&A blanket in the nursing center.  I had never seen them before and now I really want one.  I did use my Undercover Mama so we kept it discreet.

All in All it was an amazingly exhausting trip filled with memories that I will never forget.  My son still talk about it a month later so I pray he still remembers it as an older child and adult. We already are planning our next trip to Disney.  We want to go for Halloween, Christmas and once in the summer to enjoy the water parks :)

My favorite family picture

Traveling and Family Vacations with Kids: Step two..Getting there!

I knew early on that we couldn't mention a single thing to our son about our up coming trip.  This is tip #1 Keep it under wraps.  I could have swore that we didn't say a single thing but some how he knew what was up.  Maybe it was the teachers at daycare or maybe we did slip up but he would occasionally say "I am going to ride on an airplane and see Disney". We would just laugh and say "Where did you hear that?" Or something like that. 

Well, morning of the trip we got up and ate breakfast and then called the cab company.  Once the cab was in the drive way we then told him that we were taking a ride.  That was it! Not a single mention of Disney or an airplane.  Believe it or not he was excited about something as simple as a cab ride.  Once we got close to the airport we finally told him we were riding an airplane.  I really wish I had the camera at hand because he was beyond excited.  I knew that he was going to be very excited and there are so many things that call out to a three year old to touch and experience. (This is tip# 2 )My way of dealing with this naturally inquisitive behavior of a three year old is to involve him as much as possible in what were doing. First Trey was allowed to help drag one of the bags to the ticket counter.  He was happy to yell out to the world "I am SO STRONG!"  Once we got to the counter he was able to help push buttons on the ticket kiosk.  His eyes were lit up with happy excitement. Then we had our first timeout. First let me say that I am not remotely afraid of what other people think about how I choose to raise or discipline my child (That is tip #3).  It is your child and if a timeout right in the middle of a busy airport is necessary then go for it.  Then it was off to security which was pretty easy due to the STROLLER LANE! Gotta love things like this.  Trey loved taking his shoes off and helping load things on the x-ray belt and walking through the metal detector.  Not that the security officers made us but there was no way he,Aubrey or myself were going through the x-ray machine. 

Finally, we were though security and then the fun part.  We announced to Trey that we were going to ride a train! He squealed and asked me where Thomas the train was.  I had to lie and say he was sleeping so that we avoided a 30 minute conversation as to why he wasn't there. He loved riding on the train to the concourse and finally we got to the plane and he literally spent the next 20 minutes looking at all the planes and being a very good boy.  I was very proud.

Next was the part I was the most nervous about....The plane ride.

We filed on to the plane and two things kept crossing my mind..1) I hope Trey is not one of those kids and 2) Aubrey is totally getting hungry.  Well, I am happy to report that Trey was NOT one of those kids and was pretty well behaved. He did find the airplane bathroom fascinating and kept flushing the toilet but our boredom busters worked amazingly well. I nursed Aubrey often on the ride and she slept most of the way.  I happen to feel very comfortable nursing in public and have no shame about it.  I do try my hardest to be modest.  I wore my undercover mama and that really helped.

Just to reacap..These are my bullit point tips for traveling with kids
1) Keep it under wraps : For your own sanity try not to tell them what is about to happen or every 2.3 seconds they will ask about it.  Let them know what you are going to do moments before it happens.
2) Children are naturally curious and want to touch and interact with their environment so let them but only on your terms.  Allow them to help when they can.
3)Don't worry about the disapproving stares of total strangers: If you need to do a timeout or a stern talking to then do it!  Your children need to know that no matter where you are your rules still apply.
4) Enjoy the ride! Getting there is and should be half the fun.  We are such a go-go-go society no one notices the fun in the little things such as a tram ride in the airport. To your kid this is an adventure so look though their eyes and enjoy the experience with them. 


Part 3 coming soon The Trip!

Traveling and Family Vacations with Kids: Step One Packing

My husband and I love to travel.  We were together less then 6 months when we took our first trip together.  We went to Jamaica.  It was the first time I traveled out of the Country and I loved it.  I had been happily bitten by the travel bug.  We even had a destination wedding in Ocho Rio, Jamaica.  We have regularly taken a vacation roughly every six months since then.  I truly believe that in a relationship or family you need to travel and vacation together.  It doesn't matter if it is a long weekend a few hours from home or across the globe it is great to spend time just the two of you or as a family.  You can create wonderful memories and reconnect as a couple or family.

This year we decided while I was still pregnant with our daughter that we would take a family vacation to Disney. I have to admit I was a tiny bit nervous to travel with a 3 year old and a 3 months old.  The whole thing kind of sat uneasy with me..How would they do on the plane? How do I keep two kids occupied? How do I breast feed on the plane? I decided to take it one step at a time and step one for me was packing.  I needed to make sure that we brought everything that we might need for two reasons. #1 the cheap person I am I hate having to spend money on necessitates on vacation and they always seem to cost 10x's more then they would at home. 2) My OCD : I really freak about not being prepared and I tend to over react to situations like not having what I need..I like to be organized and ready.

I started by using a corner of my bedroom to pre-pack about a 10 days before we left. I would place items that we would need as I thought of them in the "vacation" spot.   Some people might use a list but for me list don't work well.  I need to see the items in front of me.  Most of these items are things I knew I would over look as we pack essentials.  This pile included toys that I didn't want to buy at Disney.  We bought items at Disney.com on a deep clearance discount before we left.  I also purchased glow in the dark necklaces and bracelets.  This pile also had our fans, sunscreen, laundry detergent and a stroller cover for the airplane.

In the process of preparing I decided to add a pile in the kitchen of items to occupy my 3 year old on the plane and 45 minute ride to Disney.  I was dreading having "that kid" on the airplane.  I didn't want him to be to terribly disruptive to other passengers.  I also started training him early on about using our inside voice and soft touch, not kicking the seat ect...he has a sensory delay issue which makes this extra difficult.  He is not autistic but has similar issues.  He has difficulty processing incoming tactile or auditory information unless it is at a level 10. This makes him extra loud and he wants to touch everything! So, I packed items to help him.  Crayons: to color, a camera: he loves to take pictures and this feeds his need for phyical stimulation by touching the camera and auditory by the sound of the camera snapping the pic, Velcro : this was a life savor! the feeling of the rough and smooth sides of the Velcro coupled with the ripping was entertainment for 20+ minutes!

I set a deadline for packing. My deadline was 11pm the night before we left. I organized all the clothes on the bed by kid and parent..everyone had their own pile organized by outfit.  I also had to bring blankets, lovey's, laundry detergent ect...I brought almost everything to our bed to check, double check and recheck before packing.  Once I was satisfied that I had everything we needed it went in to the suit cases and a big surprise to me was that everything for my husband, kids and myself fit in 1 large suitcase, 1 medium and 1 small. 

So, the hard part was complete and we the next morning we were on our way! My next post will be about the tip and how much fun we had!

How to Generate Income and Make Money For Your Family : Part 2

Besides coupons and cutting cost by making our own house hold cleaners and laundry supplies I have taken to the internet and my cell phone to make some extra cash.

Internet

I knew there had to be a way to earn a small amount of legit money from the internet.  First, I Googled " how to make money from home" I read an blog post about survey sights that listed the pros and cons.  Pros: You can make money just giving your opinion in your spare time.  Which is perfect for a SAHM with very little time on my hands.  Con's: It is not a ton of money but every dollar counts.  Then I Googled reputable survey sights. I found some very reputable internet survey sites and signed up. My favorites are E Poll, American Consumer Opinion and My Points. Much like blogging this is in no way a get rich quick type of endeavor but I earn about 100.00 to 150.00 a month in gift cards.  You can use PayPal but I prefer to not use the paypal deposits because they charge you to redeem your cash. Typically, I request Amazon online credit and I can then purchase items on my extensive Amazon wishlist.  The E Poll site requires you to complete surveys to earn points that you can redeem for gift cards ect. Super-points and My Points site also have surveys you can complete but with they also add an email feature.  They send you emails that you just read and click on and you can earn points for simply visiting a particular website. You are not required to purchases anything or give your email address to these site to earn points.  You can also use both of these websites when you do purchases items online and you can receive points for every dollar you are already intending to spend.  For instance, I purchased items from Macy's website and when I used the site I was able to receive 10 pts for every dollar I spent.  I was already going to buy the items.  I look at it like a shopper card.  I receive points for what I buy then I can get gift cards.

Phone

The way I am using my cell phone to make money is by far my favorite.  You have to have a smart phone FYI...I down loaded an app to my phone called Viggle.  This site awards points for television that you watch.  It works like Shazam or other tagging applications. I am already home with the TV playing so this works really well for me.  You just hit a button and tag into a TV show.  You then earn the points.  Once you accumulate a certain number of points you can redeem them for Amazon credits, Starbucks gift cards ect...So far, I have earned 4 5$ Starbucks cards and 2 25$ Amazon credits!  They often offer bonus points for watching a particular show and my favorite is the Play Along feature when the ask questions that go along with a show where you can also earn more bonus points.  There are rules like you can't tag more then 12 hours of TV in a day or accumulate more then 6000 points in a 24hr period but it is still worth it to me to earn points for something that I am already doing.

Deciphering The Cry

Many mothers say that they just know what their babies want by the type of cry they make.  This is not something new.  I remember hearing my mother best friend saying this to her husband after watching him trying to calm their baby one summer afternoon.  He seemed to try it all and nothing was working.  My mom's friend pick up the baby and instantly propped her on her shoulder and burped her.  Then she let out a half whimper and she began to feed her.  She just seemed to know exactly what her little one needed and in what order those needs had to be met.  Fast forward a few years to a woman and mother by the name of Priscilla Dunstan who had a phonographic memory.  Yes, you heard that right! Phonographic.  She has a visual memory of physical sounds..Kinda cool.  As a first time mother Priscilla had noticed that she could hear different cries that her child made and that each cry corresponded with a specific need that the child needed met.  She hypothesized that across cultural and racial boundaries that infants had cry reflexes much like other infant reflexes such as the moro, sucking and rooting, startle and step reflex.

According to Dunstan there were five very specific pre cries.  These are the noises you baby makes before they are totally freaking out.

"Neh"
The hungry cry. This sound is made sucking reflex is triggered, and the baby pushes it's tongue on the roof of the mouth.

"Owh"

Sleepy cry - This sound is very similar to a yawn

"Heh"

I'm not comfortable - This sound is exactly what you think it is and usually (at least with my daughter) is very repetitive.

"Eairh"

Lower gas - An baby uses this sound reflex to say they have an upset stomach.This sound and the "Eh" sound below to me sound very similar so when I hear either one I think belly issues, bowel issues or burping issues and that sorts out the problem.

"Eh"

I need to burp - Babies use this sound to say I need to burp but like I said it is very similar to the "Eairh" sound so if you hear the E noise try anything to relieve the discomfort of gas, burping or pooping issues.

 

Priscilla had began a clinical trial of her hypothesis with Brown University but abandoned the trial for consumer surveys and a small group observation.  She claims that she wanted to increase the speed to which she could bring this information to consumers and moms.  Unfortunately, this has brought a lot of criticism from the medical world who prides itself on thorough testing and feedback. 

 In my opinion her hypothesis is spot on! I can't tell you how much this helped me with my daughter during her first few weeks and I wish I had this information with my son. I highly recommend watching this video it really helped me and many of my Momville mommies with our little babies early on.